Serendipity
by Ember Mage
Summary: [Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime] A look focusing on the main love square. Onesided Fine x Eclipse x Rein x Bright.
1. Five shades of white

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Chapter notes:** This chapter takes place before Eclipse reveals his true identity.

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #1 - Five shades of white**

* * *

Much as she loved dresses and tiaras, nothing could par with her undying loyalty to Bright-sama.

_Her_ Bright-sama.

Every morning, she'd awake from wonderful dreams of his dazzling smile and his soft, gentle eyes; every morning, she'd imagine him complimenting on how she looked; every morning, she'd picture his kind gaze with a twinkle in his eyes that held genuine honesty in them.

Rein's fantasies strayed towards how her future with Bright-sama would be. One day alone in a ravishing gardenia, he would modestly pledge his love for her and ask her to be his bride. She, with a mild blush on her face, would gallantly accept his proposal.

In an extravagant dress five shades of white, she would stroll down the red-carpeted aisles to her prince, standing at the end of the road with his usual smile with more love blended in. Out on the sidelines, Princess Altessa seething at the thought of releasing her older brother to someone she would consider as "lowly" wouldn't matter as much as Fine heading off for a piece of white cake before returning back into her spot or even Eclipse showing up to wreck the party. All that she could visualize down at the line was Bright, waiting for her to approach him so they could endure the wedding in unison. Both of them would make their vows and tie their ribbons of hope together and blissfully end the ceremony with a kiss, revealing the inseperable bond they would maintain in the wide future.

Whether the day would come the next week or the next decade, Rein could sense the jubilance that was to come. Happiness was so close that she could almost embrace the feeling.


	2. The cruelest month

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Chapter notes:** This chapter takes place in episode 13, obviously.

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #2 - The cruelest month**

* * *

It had been such a long day.

It had been such a long day especially for _her_.

All day, she had been worried about where her sister disappeared off to; she had been frightened by the darkness of the forest; she had her hopes lifted up high by the one she loved, only to have him throw her dreams down and break her fragile heart.

Eclipse could tell that Rein was deeply infatuated with Bright, and it hurt her as much as it hurt him. It hurt her because Bright didn't seem romantically interested in her at all, and it hurt _him_ because he had to witness her suffer from the lack of affection Bright was delivering.

He saw Rein's slightly crestfallen expression when Bright offered Fine his cape, and he saw through the fake sneeze she feigned in order to gain his attention. Eventually, Eclipse grew so disgusted with this coy act that he decided to leave, only to have Bright pursue and threaten to fight him for following the twin princesses of the Sunny Kingdom with no revealed purpose.

Eclipse _did_ have a logical reason; he needed to find out about the Prominence and why things were acting strange on the Mysterious Planet recently, but it was sure as hell that he wasn't going to tell Bright. After all, the prince of the Jewelry Kingdom would most likely intervene and could put both himself and Eclipse in possible danger, and if Rein and Fine interfered, then...

Once his dinosaur bounded out of the forest, Eclipse watched, emotionless, as the tragic reality struck Rein, that Bright was in love with _Fine_, not _her_. Her shock was confirmed when Bright continuously stood up for Fine, representing her case with a fiery feeling that Rein sensed was the same as her devotion to him, but he already had his heart claimed by someone else, and it wasn't Rein who held it.

The trenchcoated boy recalled the exact same words that fell out of Bright's mouth after he rescued Fine from Regina's bounding footsteps.

"If you hurt Fine, _I won't forgive you_!" 

_But what about Rein_? Eclipse acknowledged to himself, wanting to inquire Bright with that very question. _If someone hurts her, would you protect her with the same passion you have for Fine_?

When he swept onto the saddle dangling over his dinosaur's back, he cast a long gaze at her. The girl just stood there, obviously hurt by how the person she had been in love with had feelings for her sister the whole time. Her usual sunny sparkle had been replaced by an aura of depression, and the twinkle in her aquamarine eyes now became the twinkle of tears to come. Eclipse felt a slice of loneliness and betrayal emitting from her, and couldn't possibly blame her. Why had Bright been too oblivious to see how Rein felt about him? Why did he have to publically hurt her, even if it was done unintentionally?

Eclipse darted a cruel look towards a confused Fine and a solemn Bright. "I only care about the Prominence,"he finally answered with a tone dripped in harshness. "I could care less about her." He then directed his full attention at Fine. "Don't follow me again. You're a nuisance!"

After bluntly delivering his angry comments towards both of them, he and Regina rode off into the night, the image of a distressed Rein still hanging crystal-clear in his mind like the moon bejeweling the sky.

No one was allowed to break her heart as long as he was there.

_No one_. Not even the one she truly loved. Not even her sister.

_No one_.

It had been such a long day, and it had ended in the cruelest month.


	3. Four rings of light

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #3 - Four rings of light upon the ceiling overhead**

* * *

Fine was one of the twin princesses of the Sunny Kingdom and was the bearer of light. Every day, her parents lovingly told her that her light shined in the souls of many, and every day she brought light to those in need. Though she helped others shine, there was only one person that remained hidden in the dark.

Eclipse contrasted from her greatly. While she appeared to be in the realm of light, he strayed in the shadows, away from her. Wherever Fine traveled, Eclipse would keep a safe distance from her. The barrier of opposition subtly pushed them apart, keeping the princess at one end and the trenchcoated boy on the other.

Fine wished to know him, to understand his feelings and to feel his emotions.

She didn't understand why he had to be so close yet so far apart from her.

He haunted her dreams whenever she wasn't dreaming about food, and even there he would be standing in the distance, his mysterious eyes gazing at her with an emotion Fine could not see through. In one of her dreams, Fine would cast a spell to turn the dark setting into a cheery, bright wonderland with its four chandeliers dangling with its exquisite glitter. Eclipse would be standing at the back of the ballroom, half-concealed by the shadows.

She would call his name, but Eclipse would turn around and walk in the opposite direction, the tail of his shady trenchcoat trailing behind the tapping of his footsteps. The shadow would fall over as he retreated into the silent shade.

She still didn't understand why, but she hoped that one day he would let her pass the door to his heart.

One day, his enigmatic darkness would be dispersed by her ray of light.


	4. Everything you ever wished for

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #4 - Everything you ever wished for**

* * *

Bright lived the grand life of a prince, having everything catered to him on a gold platter. Though he admitted his life was much more easy than the ranks lower than him, he continued to devote some of his time in aiding other people in his kingdom that were in need of help, as well as putting the safety of his kingdom on the top of his priority list. Much as he helped people around the kingdom or at home, he was helped at home by his assistants.

"Is there anything else you wish for?" the manservants would usually ask in an air of respect.

Bright would respond to this by shaking his head from side to side, murmuring, "There is not a thing, but thank you."

Truth to be told, he was only lying. It was quite true that he could have anything he wanted in the Mysterious Planet, yet for some reason his desires were unquenched. There was a certain something that he wanted, but he felt that he would have a long way to go before receiving his just reward.

Fine was not like any other princess he had encountered before. There was that strange yet admiring aura around her. If the princesses were debating about the latest fashion on the Wonder Planet or even discussing about where Moon Maria received her crescent-shaped hat, Fine would be the only one who didn't seem interested and would interruupt them, asking them if they could kick a ball around instead of talking.

Fine had that certain sparkle; that prominence that made her unique; that certain essence that intrigued Bright so. She may have been one of the most unprincesslike princesses in the entire history of the Wonder Planet; it was certainly not false that she acted out of her role as a stereotypical princess, but her spunk was an admirable quality that built her character. Her personality made Bright love her even more as the seasons passed, and her responses were so enjoying that it made Bright smile even on the darkest day. Whatever Fine said always interested Bright, for the girl was extraordinarily unpredictable at times.

While at home Altessa would irritably complain about how Princess Fine messed up her crown or how Princess Fine nearly made her lose one of her favorite jewels, Bright would softly chuckle, imagining Fine performing all those actions but always ending up in a wide grin. 

Bright's life was almost perfect. The last piece to the puzzle was Fine's smile. Fine's smile especially devoted towards Bright, that is.

She was everything he wished for and more.


	5. The effect of impact

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #5 - The effect of impact on stationary objects**

* * *

Dances were fun. Balls were exciting. Cotillions were excruciatingly delightful.

Occasionally, all seven kingdoms would band together and form a grand party. Whoever created that idea must have enjoyed the airy gossip exchanged from kingdom to kingdom or loved to meet new people, but to Rein this meant dressing up in a fancy blue ball gown in which she had anticipated for days to wear. 

As much as Fine favored the mouth-watering scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, Rein adored the thick, lavish stench from her mother's perfume bottle. She enjoyed the feel of dangling shining jewels and beads in her beautifully-styled cerulean ponytail. Her angel-white shoes made her feel tall and gallant, and the skirts of her blue dress made her feel more regal, more bold. She was no longer _just plain ordinary_ Rein, but _Princess_ Rein... 

It was a no brainer that Bright was there at the contests to support his own sister as well as everyone else. All day, Rein would glance longingly at him every once in a while, biting her glossed lip back to wonder if they were going to share a dance together. 

Finally, the moment came. Underneath the dim spotlight of the ballroom, Rein watched in awe as Bright spun effortlessly around the room with his exchanging dance partners. When Bright finally stood still after bowing to his dance partner, Rein decided that this was the best time to ask. The moment Fine busied herself at the dessert table, Rein apprehensively stepped towards Bright, her bated breath coming out in nervous gasps.

It was now or never. Perhaps Bright would not ask her, but her asking wouldn't hurt, would it? Sure, it could be considered unprincesslike, but Rein thought a little wish wouldn't do any damage. Would he reject her? No, he was Prince Bright; hopefully he wouldn't say no.

Rein's conscience was practically screaming at her to make the first move. _Go! Go! The dance will be over if you don't go! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Who knows when you will dance with him again_?

The girl picked up her footsteps and started clacking over to him. Bright remained in his position, and then noticed Rein approaching him. He politely greeted her with his usual charming grin, but in amidst of all her confusing emotions, Rein forgot that she was running. By the time she finally realized her fast pace, it was too late. The princess collided into the prince, knocking him off his feet. Crowds around them turned their heads, a bit displeased at the scene. Eyes stared at Rein, and murmurs spread across the room.

"Ahhh! What should I dooooo?" wailed Rein, face turning red from the attention she attracted. She placed her tiny hands on Bright's shoulders, shaking him lightly. "Bright-sama! Are you okay?"

To Rein's surprise, Bright didn't seem that angry at all. Instead, he smiled dazedly, pushing himself up. "That should be my question, Princess Rein," he answered gently. "Are _you_ hurt?"

Rein blushed again, quickly shaking her head and avoiding her gaze from Bright. "No, no! I'm fine! I'm fine!"

The prince of the Jewelry Kingdom chuckled. "That's wonderful to hear." He slowly rose to his feet with one of his hands entwined in Rein's, pulling her up as well.

The aquamarine-eyed girl gulped and stuttered, "Um... Bright-sama... would you... uh..." 

Bright tilted his head aside. "Yes?"

"Would you like to... um..." Rein ended her sentence with incoherent mumbles.

Surprisingly, Bright understood her mumbled request. With a light laugh, he replied, "Princess Rein, you've stolen my question again. I'd be obliged if we may have this dance." 

Rein's ocean-colored eyes rose up to meet Bright's, giggling in both relief and satisfaction. Within a few seconds, Bright and Rein were sweeping off into a waltz that Rein had dreamed of for a long time.


	6. And yes, the way you look at me

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #6 - And yes, the way you look at me**

* * *

He usually understood what she was thinking whenever she looked his way.

With a furrow of her eyebrows, her aquamarine-dyed eyes would stare at him in discomfort; the look of suspicion and possible hate. Though she would say nothing, he could sense the storm of distrust in her behavior.

At the same time, when he rescued her, those same oceanic eyes would falter upon his face in a look of relief, confusion, and maybe even attraction. Though she would cautiously ask him why he saved her, he wouldn't say anything, just like she wouldn't whenever she shot a glance at him.

Inquiries would continue, but he would ignore them. She would not persist, but under her breath, he could hear her murmur to her twin sister that he was so cruel, unlike "Bright-sama." According to her, her dear "Bright-sama" wouldn't be as hurtful as him, Eclipse. "Fine was wrong that he was kind,"she would say.

He wasn't the one that was being cruel, though. The way she tortured him with her various expressions left him perplexed. A smile would somehow brighten his day. A scowl would make him blame himself for being such an irritable person. A face at rest would make him wonder what she was thinking.

Yes, the way she looked at him filled him with so many emotions that it left him puzzled.


	7. Snow falling on corpses

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #7 - Snow falling on corpses**

* * *

She saw him staring at her from the corner of her eye. There was no mistakening the dark shade of his trenchcoat, nor the deep blue eyes with the icy glare. The wind and snow ruffled his coat, and he seemed to be thinking of something.

She spun around, and he avoided her gaze. When Fine would call his name, begging him to wait, he would not comply to her pleads and walked away. Was he there the whole time? Why did he keep spying on Rein and herself whenever they went on expeditions? What was his true ordeal? Where was he going? Fine dashed after him, her feet crushing the dead grass concealed under the blanket of snow.

"Eclipse," she said one more time, and he stopped.

Fine, satisfied that she gained his attention, now found herself flustered, nearly forgetting what she was going to ask. A sudden gust of wind blew harshly around the two, causing the girl to shield herself, and when she opened her eyes again, Eclipse was gone.

She hadn't even asked her question yet.

_Would he come back soon_? Fine wondered. There was so much that she had to know about him. The questions she had for him spun around her mind, and she just wanted to understand him as a person.

Something told her that he had to. It was destiny.


	8. The blind leading the blind

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #8 - The blind leading the blind**

* * *

Someone with perfect vision could lead the blind under the vast azure skies, but it wasn't necessarily the one who eyes who would lead. Sometimes blind people led one other across the distant peaks of the world.

In this case, Fine led Bright into a world that he had never seen before. By trying to view things through Fine's eyes, Bright felt that he could understand her better. The way she'd relate everything to a slice of brownie cheesecake and the way she'd compare the fluffy snow to the smooth texture of a white cake seemed all so new to Bright. Maybe Fine wasn't the best philosopher in the world, but her statements normally made sense, in a famished kind of way.

The more Bright thought about Fine, the more he felt that she had captured his heart and was making him chase her through a long labyrinth. He somehow was drawn to her like a magnet, her unique nature usually on his mind. Bright felt as if Fine was uncovering his eyes to view the world in a different perspective with her different opinions. He soon understood that he was blindly in love with her.

Unfortunately he failed to realize that Fine was blind as well — blind to the feeling of love, that is; _his_ love especially. For some reason, whenever Bright caught Fine's glance, she'd look away, and when he advanced towards her, she'd push Rein before him, smiling apologetically. Whenever he'd talk to her, Fine would ramble on about pastry, and then find an excuse to leave. 

Bright didn't understand any of her antics, but he assumed that it was probably just another attribute of hers. Whatever it was, Fine was just like a puzzle, and her unpredictable motions always astounded Bright. Such a dissimilar personality made Bright admire her even more.

But still, _why_ was she avoiding him?


	9. More cocaine to kill the pain

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them. I don't even hold ownership over the Princess Collection CDs my brother bought.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

Also, the themes for 52flavours rotated, so the following themes might vary!

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #9 - More cocaine to kill the pain**

* * *

The enigmatic aura Eclipse emitted was so mysterious that Fine felt herself drawn to him.

He was like a drug — so addicting, so blinding, so misleading, and would never lead her to a definite stop. No matter what, Fine always felt attracted to him, and even she didn't understand why. There were so many things she didn't know about him that she had wanted to ask. Did he like ice cream? What was his favorite color? Day by day, whenever Fine was alone, she'd ponder on those things, sometimes going as far as to fill in his reply. However, whenever she did, it just didn't seem right. Her answers didn't seem genuine.

Often times, she asked herself whether she would ever see him again. Whenever she doubted that she'd catch sight of a fringe of his dark trenchcoat, or even the brim of his evening hat, Fine would feel a tinge of sadness piercing through her chest. Whenever she saw him with her very own eyes, red against blue, the pain went away.


	10. You close your mind

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, NAS, TV Tokyo, BANDAI NETWORKS, NEC Interchannel, Ciao Comics, Hal Film Maker, etc. Just remember that I hold no ownership to them.

* * *

**Author's note:** These one-shots are done for the LiveJournal community 52flavours. Since the fandom lacks fanfiction to this wonderful series, I decided to try my hand at them. I was going to do Eclipse x Rein, but why not focus it on the infamous love square? There will be 52 chapters of course, and all couples will be one-sided. (I may intend on putting Eclipse x Rein, though.)

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

Also, the themes for 52flavours rotated, so the following themes might vary!

* * *

**Serendipity  
Theme #10 - You close your mind  
To their gentle questions  
What do these people know about love?**

* * *

Shade was not alien to the wonders of love. He'd read about it many of the books lying deep, deep in the royal libraries, or overheard the young maids gossiping about their love lives. He'd received several love letters of his own, each from girls who showered him in compliments on how educated, good-looking, and generous he was.

True, he had received the highest education possible. It was not a lie that he assisted others whenever he came upon them during their moments of need.

But other than that, these girls didn't know any more about him. Anything he never made public and kept within the castle prevented the girls from understanding further. Shade often received letters asking about what type of girls he liked, if he preferred the Flame Kingdom's spicy fried rice over the crispy vegetables of the Seed Kingdom. He'd never answer to these directly; the girls could only speculate what his favorite flavor of ice cream was, or what was his favorite color. This type of information seemed harmless, but Shade knew through observation of other officials that the best way to be the strongest was never to let anyone else know too much about you.

Which was why he kept his alter ego and "secret life" out of the eyes and hears of everyone he knew and saw. This was the best thing to do, he figured. There was no need for everyone to know about Eclipse, for it would expectedly ruin his observations to what the chancellor had secretly been doing behind everyone else's backs. What was the best way to ruin him? Do the same — in secret and out of everyone else's view.

Secrets were kept in hushed, unspoken thoughts that Shade held private in his mind. He'd been branded as "mysterious", which the maids often noted as one of his charming points, an attractive allure. Keeping secrets was what he was best at, and it made him all the more desirable to females across the planet.

Bright was Shade's foil. He was like an open book — facts and information exposed out into the open, allowing people to know both his strengths and weaknesses. Had Shade been Bright's opponent in any event named, he'd easily track down one of his failing points and defeat him. Bright made it all too easy.

When Shade saw Princess Rein, he was immediately sickened at how she'd gush over Prince Bright as if she knew everything about him. Of course she didn't; she never understood any of the negative aspects of Bright. If she did, how could she not know that Bright was not as perfect as he seemed? Shade would often see flashes of stress across Bright's face that others would dismiss as their imagination. Shade noticed Bright's occasional decisions that would lead him into even more trouble. Bright was no one special. He was weak. Inferior. How could Rein claim to be in love with a guy like _him_? Love wasn't about perfection and the embodiment of limitless grace.

As always, Shade would try to repress these thoughts. He wasn't jealous of Bright.


End file.
